May 13, 2017

Barna Trends 2017

Issue No. 359 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting features a jam-packed book on what’s trending in 2017—over 200 pages of water cooler and boardroom conversations. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for my “Book-of-the-Year” picks from 2008 to 2016.

Yikes! Yikes! Yikes!

Yikes! “Millennial Christians are less likely to say that ‘my church encourages spiritual growth.’” (p. 196)

Yikes! “Less than 1 percent of [church] leaders report using a survey or other evaluation instrument to assess the results of their programs.” (p. 197)

Yikes! “According to a 2007 study by the Center for Missional Research of 12 denominations and church planting networks, one-third of church plants do not survive past four years (32%).” (p. 188)

And…if “faith and culture” is not on your radar, read it anyway. My promise: I’ll send you a Starbucks card if you are unable to find something highly relevant to your life, family, friends, business, or faith journey.

And…as a reminder, “An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.” (Proverbs 15:14, The Message)

Earlier this year, I participated in a board retreat and each person presented a 10-minute review of their assigned section from Barna Trends 2017. It was highly, highly stimulating—as each person highlighted more “Yikes!” moments from their unique perspectives.

Wow…really interesting “Yikes!” and more:

• Of all adults, 65% agree it’s “a good idea to live with one’s significant other before getting married.” (p. 101) • 55% of Christian Millennials agree that “traditional Judeo-Christian values should be given preference in the U.S.” (p. 18) • Teens and young adults view not recycling as more immoral than viewing porn. (p. 88) • Family members have the greatest impact (from a list of 7 options) on a person’s spiritual journey. (p. 135) • Only 16% of Millennials believe that “the Bible is the actual Word of God and should be taken literally, word for word.” (p. 141) • Chattanooga, Tenn., is the most churched city with 63% attending church in the past week. San Francisco is the least churched city with 61% not attending church in the last six months. (p. 149) • Favorable views of Pope Francis have climbed from 54% in 2014 to 60% in 2015. (p. 208)

Yikes. Yikes. Yikes. This amazing book is not only crammed with careful research, but it’s one of the best designed books to come along—colorful charts, infographics, fast facts, snapshots and much more on most pages—and hundreds of mini-discussion topics for the dinner table, water cooler, the pulpit, and your prayer list.

I dog-eared dozens of pages, including page 84, “America’s Reading Habits (or Lack Thereof).” Guess what? “Most people are still reading physical books—either ones they bought in a store or borrowed from a library.” When asked where people most often get their books, all age groups (from Millennials to Elders) get the greatest percentage of their books from store purchases, not online.

More Yikes: • While 3 out of 4 adults “believe people from different cultures enrich America,” 52% disagree that “amnesty and/or citizenship should be granted to illegal immigrants under 18.” (p. 48) • 74% of Millennials agree strongly (31%) or agree somewhat (43%) that “whatever is right for your life or works best for you is the only truth you can know.” (p. 51) • “Despite the cultural impact of mega-churches, most churchgoers attend services in a more intimate context. --46% attend a church of 100 or fewer attendees --37% attend a church of 100-499 attendees --9% go to a church of 500-999 attendees --8% attend a church of 1,000 or more attendees.” (p.226)

Well-known in many circles, Barna Group, over the last 30 years, “has conducted more than one million interviews over the course of hundreds of studies, and has become a go-to source for insights about faith and culture, leadership and vocation, and generations.”

Barna Trends is published annually with the latest cultural, religious, and political trends. Certainly, at least one person on your senior team and one person on your board should peruse this excellent resource—and report on it at your next staff and/or board meeting. Three major sections on what’s trending in culture, life, and faith are populated with memorable feature articles on media, politics, generational culture, vocation and education, habits, relationships, church, beliefs, leadership, global religion, and a must-read two-page infographic, “The State of the Church 2017.”

Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: 1) In “A Q&A on Cross-Generational Community,” Mark Matlock notes (p. 123), “Everyone needs to recognize that we have generational bias based on the era when we were born or our current stage of life.” What generational biases might be lurking in our hallways, publications, website, and/or customer communiques?2) When is the last time one of us has seriously drilled down into what’s trending—and how it will impact our organization’s future? Is our strategic plan based on anecdotes, or wild assumptions, or serious research? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "If you have $10,000 to spend..." Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit

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